


to be in stockholm

by noair (orphan_account)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassins & Hitmen, Businessmen, Kidnapping, M/M, Other, Psychological Horror, YANGYANG IS MENTIONED ONCE LMAO, this fic is messy but it's a hell of a ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 11:04:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18281498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/noair
Summary: kun falls in love with his murderer.





	to be in stockholm

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to all my friends for supporting me in this (really short) venture! especially to kay, my emotional support punching bag, talented artist, and beloved proof-reader. i love you all!

**i.**

the harsh wind blew in ten’s face with a sort of disgusted air to it. having only arrived days before, the cold beijing atmosphere was something he was definitely not used to. a slight scowl bloomed across his frozen lips as the wind seemed to slash into his skin, making it almost impossible to feel any sensation through his body. it was times like this in which he hated his job, hated the meticulous process of traveling to different countries every month, and hated the strain of patience that came with having to learn the everyday pattern of his future victims. but such was the life of a hitman, he assumed to himself.

it was his fifth day following the chinese businessman. by now, ten was all too familiar with the regular stops the man made on the way to work, the certain scheduled phone calls that reoccurred each day, and even the specific amount of creamer he preferred in his coffee during the afternoon. ten lazily recalled that his employer had mentioned that the man’s position was one of high regards- was he the ceo or cfo of his business? ten couldn’t remember anymore. besides, such details could matter less to him now that he was ready to put his plan to action. ten reached into his coat pocket and fished out his phone. ah yes, qian kun of fujian, china. notable heir to one of the more _powerful_ figures in the chinese stock market. ten could see why someone would want to get rid of such a character.

the man (ten preferred to forget about his victims’ names- it humanised them) quickly opened the door to a large building as soon as ten looked up from his phone. the building seemed to reach the clouds, ten mused as he looked up to admire the sleek architectural design of the skyscraper. ten wondered what would be inside, as with what he was wearing now, a simple black t-shirt with matching ripped jeans, it seemed as if he had no business even standing outside such an establishment. nonetheless, ten trailed after the man, hesitating for only a moment before opening the door and entering the building.

it would be a lie to say that ten wasn’t a bit surprised when he first stepped into the clean halls of the structure. he had expected something business-like, perhaps the office of another powerful man or some sort of private bank. however, it seemed that he had merely entered a high-end shopping mall. a faint outline of the man quickly caught the corner of ten’s eye. it would’ve been hard to miss someone that dressed that nicely. upon further inspection, it seemed that the man was hovering over a glass display case. shuffling a bit closer, ten found that the case held gold watches that shone in every direction under the bright light that was fixated above them. pretending to be interested in another display case, ten made his way closer to the man so now he was within earshot to hear whatever the man was muttering about.

“-yangyang is such a brat, oh my god. i can’t believe how shameless he is for making me come all the way here just for a stupid…” the man trailed off, using a single motion of his left hand to run his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. with his right arm leaning against the case, the man was quickly approached by a store attendant who had seen him looking at the items.

“may i help you sir?” the young girl uttered, eyeing the man’s arm that still rested on the glass with a sort of annoyance. sensing the tension, he quickly took his arm off the case and rather flusteredly attempted to wipe his hands on his suit despite there being nothing to wipe off. after a short yet awkward period of silence, the man cleared his throat to speak up.

“ah, yes. i’m here to get a gift for one of my…” another pause followed. “coworkers. he was looking for something specific though, but he didn’t really give me much to work with. something about a cartier watch with blue time hands and a red crown? i’m not much of a watch guy myself though, so i have no idea of what any of that truly means. oh- i also think he mentioned it being a design of… some french name, i presume.” for a moment the man seemed to be lost in thought, scrambling to pull together the long-forgotten name of the specific designer. once he realised it was no use, he dejectedly smiled to himself. “i’ll take anything you have, though. i’m sure my coworker won’t notice the difference.”

from afar, ten studied the mannerism of the other. from the way he fiddled with the loose threads at the end of his shirt when he was nervous or the way his eyes lit up when he was embarrassed- it all amused and somehow interested ten. for a moment, ten almost felt bad.

the young worker smiled back despite her indifference to the situation and soon began to pull different models out from the case. ten watched with a sort of slightly entertained humour as the man began to try on numerous styles of watches without any regard for the hefty price tag that seemed to weigh down on ten’s dignity (even if he was not the one making the purchase). with each watch the man tried on, the price only began to grow. after a multitude of ah’s and hm’s were exchanged, the man finally decided on a simple watch that seemed to match the profile of what he was looking for. perhaps ten would finally have a chance to get rid of the poor lad once in for all.

“i’ll just take this to the back of the store and get it ready for you. after that you can go to the front of the building, pay, and you’ll be all set.” the worker gave a courteous bow to the man before heading in the opposite direction behind the counter, subsequently disappearing behind a set of closed doors.

ten moved closer to the man, finally darting right next to the man in a vain attempt to pretend as if he was also interested in whatever items could be found inside the glass case. the man seemed to care less, preoccupied with studying the jade jewelry that hung in a display case adjacent to the watch area they were situated in. taking a deep breath, ten tapped the man on the shoulder, taking in another shallow gulp of breath when the man- kun- looked him directly in the eyes. and what a puncturing stare he had _!_ it should’ve been a crime to be so beautiful.

“i’m sorry,” ten began, already reaching for the slip of powder in his jacket pocket, “but i’m afraid you need to come with me.” and with that, both the man and ten were gone without a trace. who could’ve known that only minutes before, there stood two totally dissimilar men?

**ii.**

kun woke up and laughed to himself. it was the sort of laugh you make when your heart starts pounding, your eyes begin to widen, and you find yourself strapped to a cold, metal chair in an abandoned warehouse. yes, it was that kind of laugh.

but, in all seriousness, kun was somehow not that surprised. after all, he assumed this was a mere prank, probably from his _kind and loving_ ~~friends~~ coworkers that seemed to take pleasure in making kun’s life as miserable as it possibly could. after taking over his father’s business, there was just nothing to be surprised about anymore. anything could happen, especially when your name was plastered throughout the country’s magazines, billboards, and news shows. kun was practically the “fan bingbing” of the business world.

still, there had been 20 minutes that had passed and kun was still strapped to the chair that was frankly a bit too small for kun to sit in. after a moment of fidgeting around and painful scratches against his skin from the rope that was tied around his entire body, kun wasn’t so sure if the situation was a joke anymore.

“-stupid idiot, just tell him to send the payment soon _!_ i don’t give two shits about how busy he is, i’m taking a big risk with him and if i don’t get that 15 million yuan by tomorrow i’m literally going to do something stupid. yeah, just put it under ‘ten’, i couldn’t care less by this point.” the growing sounds of a man’s agitated voice carried throughout the entire building, sending a chill down kun’s spine. the man’s chinese was broken, and kun could have sworn he had heard the same voice some time before. what kind of fever dream was he in?

soon, the sound of once light taps of footsteps began to get louder and louder until the sound echoed from right behind him. the body’s warm breath tickled kun’s neck as the low hum of another man sounded from behind his ear. “what do we have here? you’re not supposed to be awake for the next…” the voice seemed to ponder for a moment. “two hours? seems i underestimated your will to live.” kun felt a single finger trail down his neck, shivering as it made contact with his skin. “i admit it’s a bit sick to bring you here, especially since it’s the beginning of winter. unfortunately, i’m not sure if i can wait too long. my client is… in a bit of a rush.”

the voice stepped to the side and finally stood in front of kun. dressed in a modest yet somewhat trendy fashion, kun was surprised to find that he recognised the man’s face from a moment before. and what a pretty face he had.

“are you alright? this is usually when people start screaming for help. are you not frightened by this gun?” the man patted the handgun that was situated on his belt. “wouldn’t be surprised if you had one yourself. rich people can get away with anything these days…” ten muttered under his breath, casting his glance to the side as if he had muttered something shameful. “qian kun, isn’t it?”

kun was quite surprised that the man knew his name. after all, he had only met him how long ago? finally snapping out of his stupor, kun feigned a smile. “yes, you’re right _ten_ , was it?” two could play at that game. kun had long been used to these petty games that took place in the business world. it would take more than just a few simple words and gestures to scare him.

ten was a bit shocked. he had not expected that the man- kun, goddammit- would say his name, nonetheless know it. the man should’ve been too panicked, too hysterical to even hear his conversation or even pick up his name. ten’s smile widened. it was nice to talk to someone with his level of intelligence- with his level of cleverness. never had any of his victims acted this rational before. perhaps he had finally met his match.

kun watched ten reach behind a table placed in front of him and produced a camera of sorts. perhaps a tripod? kun wasn’t up to date with the latest technology. with a delicate touch, ten set it up in front of his hostage. kun wondered why his coworkers would need to videotape such an ordeal (though, once again, he wasn’t surprised) but the other man did not turn the camera on. and soon it stood in between the two, an invisible barrier of sorts.

kun watched as ten leaned back onto the wooden table, letting a small sigh escape his lips as he carded his fingers through his hair with fatigue. it was hard to imagine that the other’s slender fingers were right against his neck only moments ago. for a moment, it seemed like the two stayed there in mutual silence, with a sort of surreal understanding for each other. but, there was no time to lose, and ten was losing his own patience as well.

“i’m not sure if you truly understand the situation you’re in right now. i hate to break it to you, but you’re going to die soon. i don’t know when- this person who wants you dead- they haven’t paid the other half of their down payment yet. of course, i could just let you go but we’ve already been through so much…” ten cast his eyes down to look at the table and spotted a glimmering object from the corner of his eye. he picked it up and turned it between his fingers. “and i can’t jeopardize myself to the public, you know? i’m sure he’ll pay on time… yeah… i just don’t know when.” ten stood flat on his feet and shifted his weight. moving closer to kun, he pointed the knife at his face. “i need you to realise that this isn’t a joke. you **are** going to die.”

so now, kun was quite sure this wasn’t a joke. the knife certainly looked real and was enough to convince him otherwise. kun parted his lips slightly as if he was going to say something, but quickly stopped as he truly had nothing to say. why did the announcement of death seem so plain to him? had he not worked as hard as he could his entire life- done everything to please the people around him? but now, everything was going to come to an end. kun was going to die and there was nothing to be mad about. there was only the end. how odd it was for him to act so calm even with the prospect of death looming over his shoulder.

“you know, you seem like a nice guy. a beautiful name, a beautiful company, and… to be blunt, a beautiful face. i almost feel a bit bad,” ten mused mostly to himself, grabbing a black piece of cloth that had been placed next to the knife moments before. “are you religious by any chance?” ten murmured in kun’s ear, bending down as to reach the same level height that kun would be bound in until he died. with a gentle touch, ten quickly tied the cloth around kun’s head and covered his eyes. there was no struggle that came from the chinese man, a surprise even to himself.

“i’d happily recite any passages of whatever denomination you come from.” ten quickly stood up, confused with his own actions. furrowing his brow, he brushed it off. perhaps he really did feel pity for the other. it wasn’t worth reading too much into the situation at hand, though. he had other more pressing things to do. “and for now, you live to see another day, mr. qian kun. i’d say you should thank my client for being **so** tardy with his payment but… he’s the one that’s trying to kill you, right?” and with that, ten walked away, the sound of footsteps trailing behind kun becoming quieter and quieter until there was virtually nothing left to hear anymore except for his own deep breaths.

an hour had passed and the cold winter wind slowly crept into the warehouse and made its way into the small closet space where kun was being held. obviously, it was a closed off section of the warehouse (ten wasn’t so cruel as to let him freeze in the other open spaces), but it was no match for the cruel winter weather that took a hold of the city of beijing in an instant. though originally from fujian, kun had predicted that such an outcome would happen after spending years studying the algorithms, patterns, and likelihoods of the stock market. perhaps it was a naturally-given gift, he mused to himself, taking his mind off the fact that he was currently being held hostage.

but soon the thoughts of his imminent death came flooding back into kun’s mind and quickly he was resigned to a foolish mess. by now, he thought, surely someone from his company would have been concerned for his whereabouts. after all, he had a company to lead. one of his assistants (no matter how horrible sicheng was at answering phone calls or taking down important notes) would have called for help by now. surely, they couldn’t have forgotten about him? right? perhaps it was just insanity getting to kun’s mind. for him to survive this ordeal, he’d have to stay calm. he was actually quite startled with how he had handled the situation before. it was a wonder of how he had managed to stay so calm.

yet there was still something that lingered in the back of his mind. it was an odd thing to think about, but why had ten been so kind to him? obviously, if you excused the constant reminders of how he was going to die sooner or later. still, he took into account how different this situation seemed from those he had seen in movies, read in books, and seen on the news. how odd of a circumstance he was in.

harshly biting down on his bottom lip, kun could feel his eyes start to close. the night before had been one of the busiest for that year and that afternoon he had skipped on his daily coffee. it was a shame that he had begun to rely solely on the drink to replenish his energy, but it had already been to late to change the habit and there was nothing else that could replace it (that was legal). slowly yet surely, kun began to drift to sleep. though the cold air settled around the room and bit at his wrists and ankles, there was nothing that could beat the drowsy businessman.

kun awoke a few hours later to the slight warmth of a blanket being wrapped around his chest. though his hands were strapped behind his back and had long lost blood circulation, he could still feel the welcoming sensation that travelled throughout his body and shook him from his endless slumber. as his eyes finally opened, a kind hand reached out to undo the blindfold that had been situated around his head for those few hours. now, kun could intake the room again, studying the torn down and crumbling walls that had long been neglected. a small lamp had been positioned in the corner of the room, shining a dull and ugly light throughout the space.

when the two men made eye contact, it was kun who spoke up first. “why?” he muttered, feeling his mouth suddenly begin to dry up. “why even do this?” ten shrugged, taking a seat in front of kun on the table.

“the logical explanation is because my client still hasn’t paid in full yet and i thought it’d be nice to spare you for now. the irrational explanation is simply because i like you. had it not been for our circumstances i’m sure i would’ve taken a fancy to you.” ten got up from the table and walked a step closer to kun, leaning down to reach his eye level once more. feeling the corners of his mouth tilt up, ten gingerly took the two corners of the blanket and pulled it closer onto kun’s body as it was slowly falling off his shoulders. satisfied with his work, ten broke out into a small smile. “there. hopefully you’ll warm up a bit. i know, it was horrible of me to bring you here. there just wasn’t enough time to find a better place, i’m afraid.”

kun couldn’t help but feel sorry for the other. it wasn’t normal, he was sure of it, but there was something in his chest that ached for him. “you know,” kun finally gave away, the barrier between the two gone. “you don’t have to do this right? you’ve shown me this much kindness so far… you must be a good person.” kun mumbled, casting his gaze downwards as to avoid any eye contact. “i _know_ you’re a good person, ten.” had ten’s previous actions not showcased this?

“don’t say my fucking name.” ten scowled, immediately retracting the hand that still laid on kun’s chest. “you don’t need to lie to me to save your ass. at this point i just wish i hadn’t accepted that guy’s offer. i was too greedy and he offered too much. this is what i get for being so gullible.” he shook his head and buried his face in his hands with a bit of shame. “but i’m wrong to get angry with you. i’m the one who’s trying to kill you, for god’s sake.” giving up with himself, ten pulled a small package from his pocket. finding a lighter from the table, ten took out a cheap convenience store cigarette and lit the end. “you smoke?” ten managed to choke out with the cigarette stuck between his teeth. kun doubted himself. those days were behind him.

the temptation was too much. kun nodded and ten quietly placed his own cigarette in kun’s mouth. with a satisfied grin, ten set the package down and retrieved another for himself. it felt as if the night would be a long one.

moments of silence quickly passed by as the two sat in peace. and what an odd situation it was _!_ the two men had only met each other hours before yet it seemed as if there was an odd connection that had sparked between the two. a subtle understanding that neither one of them wanted to point out.

“you know what,” kun spat out the cigarette, feeling not only disgusted with the stick that fell with a dull thud onto the floor, but also himself. “i pity you. what can i say. what changes a man so much that he loses all faith in god and resorts to killing others for any source of income? tell me,” he avoided using ten’s name despite the want to do so. “what drives a man that insane?”

though ten was a man of great patience and quite frankly rarely got angry at such _trivial_ things, something seemed to snap inside of him. with great speed, ten picked up the knife that laid next to him and thrust it at kun’s throat, stopping merely inches away from the other’s adams apple. holding his cigarette with his other free hand, ten struggled to resist the enticement of wanting to stick the still-burning item in the man’s eye. at the very last second, ten closed his eyes and let the cigarette drop to the floor. with a simple sigh and tousle of his hair, he crushed the cigarette with his feet.

the two men made eye contact. for how long? no one truly knew. however, it seemed like an eternity as no one moved and not a sound could be heard from the outside world. in the abandoned warehouse, it seemed as if all sound from the nearby city was blocked out. for all anyone could care, the two men really didn’t exist.

moving the knife so it grazed the bottom of kun’s chin, ten lifted it a bit so that his head was tilted upwards. leaning in a bit closer, ten smirked. “you sure know how to get my blood boiling. i can appreciate that in a man.” kun shifted his weight in the chair, also leaning in almost as if he wanted to reach out and touch ten’s face. “what an odd man you are, kun. what an odd, odd man.” kun smiled at the comment, narrowing his eyes as to get a better look at ten. and so ten was right. kun truly was quite odd indeed. who else would try and sympathise with their kidnapper and who else would even try to deliberately make them mad?

ten suddenly broke eye contact, feeling flustered by his own flirtatious actions. “i’ll be back tomorrow morning. i’ll try to get you something warmer. we’ll see when this guy actually pays up…” ten seethed under his breath, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch. “have a good night, please.” kun heard the door to the room close and finally he knew he was once again by himself.

**iii.**

the next morning the sun shone bright over the city of beijing, illuminating even the darkest corners of shady streets and broken down apartments that had yet to be rebuilt. however, none of that held any real significance to kun. it wasn’t as if he could see such a beautiful sight, anyways. more or less, he was focused on escaping. despite the wealth he possessed and the experience he had gathered over the years, nothing could’ve prepared him for his current predicament. you’d think that such a prominent figure would at least have some training in what to do in these situations, but frankly, kun just didn’t have the time to do so. he regretted it now.

though kun’s nerves had driven him up the wall the entire night, he had somehow managed to fall asleep for an hour or so, only waking up to a stack of heat packs piled up on his legs and on his shoulders. although he knew he shouldn’t have, kun could not help but let a smile spread across his face as he imagined ten coming in and placing them on his lap. though kun was disgusted by the fact that he truly felt love and pity for his kidnapper, he could not help but laugh at himself. what was happening to him?

as kun yearned to go outside and breathe in the disgustingly polluted air that he called home, the door quietly opened and ten appeared within the room. though kun had only just begun to get to know the other man, he could tell that his behaviour was different from when they had first met. the way he stood, the way his bloodshot eyes darted around the room in a frenzy, and the way composed himself- something had changed overnight.

when ten finally spoke up, he did so with a shaken yet cold voice that could pierce even the strongest of men. it was something to be feared. “when i turn this camera on don’t you dare speak. don’t mention anything- or i swear i will make you wish you were never born.” ten glanced to the camera with a sort of arrogance, slowly crossing the room to remove the heat pads away from kun’s body. “i’m sorry, kun.” he whispered. though he had tried to act stoic, his voice still wavered as he reached out and lightly caressed kun’s cheek. “i need to do my job.” taking a deep breath, ten’s whole demeanor suddenly changed- as if a switch has been flipped inside his heart. turning on the camera with a hint of grotesquely graceful flare, ten quickly blindfolded kun once more and grabbed the long butchers knife that he had been eyeing since he had entered the room.

ten had long learned how to block out the screams of his victims. after a while, he had begun to get used to the sound. no matter the person, it was always the same words that came in moments of fear and panic. kun was no different and ten had no remorse for him. at that moment, he was a transformed man- no longer ten, but a psychopath. ten clearly remembered what his client had told him to carve into kun’s skin. the reason was horrible, a stupid one at least. why, ten had asked, not quite shocked but also intrigued by the idea. ten vividly remembered the inhumane tone of his employer through the phone as he answered. _when the police find him they’ll know what we want_.

blood quickly stained ten’s hands as he mentally cursed himself for being so foolish as not to wear any gloves. chunks and flaps of flesh dangled loosely from kun’s skin and dropped to the floor, creating an unceremonious thud as the screams began to escalate.

“shut the hell up-“ ten seethed, letting one of his hands fly free from the strong grip of his knife to cover the other’s mouth. “noisy as fuck...”

and just like that, kun was quiet. the amount of self-control that he had truly amazed ten. there truly was no one like qian kun.

ten stood up from his kneeling position and admired the work he had done on kun’s now-bare chest. the four chinese characters “星火燎原” were neatly written, smears of blood and gore smothered on ten’s body and covered the floor. ten could see that kun was now struggling to keep his eyes open (the blindfold had since fallen from kun’s face. ten didn’t have the heart to tie it on too tight). by now, his previous victims would’ve passed out from the blood loss.

kun coughed harshly, feeling his own body give away to agony, pain, and exhaustion. forcing himself to look ten in the eyes, he managed to let out one more final phrase. “i… i could help you. i know you’re a good person, my god. who would’ve shown me such kindness even in the face of death? please… i just want to _live_.”

ten frowned. he had told kun before specifically not to speak. despite his reluctance to do anything, ten walked towards him once more and dropped the knife. spotting a small fleck of blood that stained kun’s face, ten gingerly wiped the blood away, smearing it on his cheek. “you know,” ten began, reaching for the final deal breaker that laid in his belt pocket. “i wish this could’ve been different.” with trembling hands, he loaded the gun. “and i know you would’ve had an amazing future too.” ten gave away to a unstable sigh and took one of kun’s hands in his. seeing how kun’s eyes struggled to stay open, ten could only hum a little. it was best if they stayed closed.

the trigger was pulled and the smell of burning flesh filled the room. for a second, the sound of gore hitting the surrounding floor and walls echoed throughout the empty warehouse. ten immediately looked away. the sight was unbearable, twisted to even the worse of criminals. as a single tear fell stupidly to the warehouse floor, ten looked at the camera.

“are you happy now, you sick fucks? look at this masterpiece i’ve created…” he snarled, hurling the gun at the ground. trying to regain his lost composure, ten turned off the camera and sat down on the floor. would he ever be the same again?

**Author's Note:**

> so the chinese idiom that ten is told to write actually means something along the lines of: "a small flame can start a whole fire"- essentially it's this stupid symbolism i came up with that means kun's death could bring terror and panic throughout china! kun's impact y'all
> 
> connect with me!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/zhunyeon)  
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/haknyeonism)  
> (i ult the boyz, nct, aoa, and ladies code :D)


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